Four public relations firms have been individually fined up to 1.3 million yuan for deleting negative online posts for their clients, in a case that has revealed the scope of a shadowy industry in China.
In the case heard by the Shashi District Court in Hubei province’s Jingzhou city, four PR firms’ Beijing branches, including specific staff, were accused of deleting, blocking or suppressing negative information about big-name clients such as Amway China, Buchang Pharmaceuticals and Furen Pharmaceuticals Group.